This invention relates to the field of surface catalytic reactions and/or heat exchange. The present invention provides a reactor which fits within a cylindrical tube, and which effectively transfers heat from the exterior of the tube to the interior of the reactor, or from the interior of the reactor to the tube.
The reactor of the present invention achieves the same objectives as those of the catalyst supports described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/896,302, filed Jul. 21, 2004, and in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/105,973, filed Apr. 14, 2005. The disclosures of both of the above-mentioned applications are incorporated by reference herein.
One of the objectives of the reactors described in the above-cited applications is to avoid the problems associated with the use of ceramic materials in the manufacture and operation of catalytic reactors. Packed bed ceramic catalysts have the disadvantage that they have low thermal conductivity, making it difficult to transfer heat from the periphery of the reactor to the inside, or vice versa. Also, the thermal mismatch between the metal and ceramic portions of prior art reactors eventually leads to pulverization of the ceramic material, thus limiting the useful life of the reactor. Like the devices described in the above-cited applications, the present invention also comprises an all-metal structure which inherently avoids these problems.
The reactors in the above-cited applications have a spiral, or truncated spiral structure. The reactor of the present invention has leaves that are not spiral, but instead extend radially outward from the interior of the reactor to its exterior. This arrangement provides improved heat transfer between the exterior and the interior of the reactor.
The reactor of the present invention can be used, for example, in the field of catalytic fuel reforming, to make hydrogen, which is then used in generating electricity through a fuel cell, or in other industrial processes such as oil and gas refining, ammonia and fertilizer production, hydrogenation of oils and chemicals, and iron ore reduction. The reactor could be used as a catalytic or non-catalytic combustor, or as a simple heat exchanger.